In Cannes This Week? Don’t Mention the R Word

Having trouble reaching someone in the advertising or marketing worlds this week? They’re most likely living it up in the South of France. Yes, after two years on hiatus due to Covid-19, the annual Cannes ad festival is back on. And attendees are out in force, looking to make up for lost party time. Just don’t mention the r-word (yes, recession).

Indeed, at first glance you wouldn’t know that inflation, Apple’s ad-targeting restrictions and the Ukrainian war have squeezed the ad market lately. Instead,  ad tech–branded yachts sit bobbing near Meta Beach, Meta Platform’s pop-up booth on the main Cannes beach, while Snapchat’s logo adorns one of the city’s most expensive hotels. Amazon, meanwhile, has gone all out with a gargantuan outdoor stall dubbed Amazon Port. “You had me at rosé!” in large block letters greets all who enter.